New Missions Announced / Josefine's Temple Day

Did anyone read the announcement of 58 new missions opening to accommodate the influx of younger missionaries?  Church website - mormonnewsroom.org.  Although we haven't had any official word, one of the new missions will be The Georgia, Macon Mission.  Dublin is in the Macon Stake - so - we are likely to be involved in the change.  It will be interesting to see how everything unfolds.

President and Sister John Reed Harding
from Bountiful Heights Stake, UT

We just found out that President Harding is back in the hospital for more surgery.  He had a malignant mass removed from the abdomen last summer, which delayed him coming until October.  We don't know yet what this will mean.

They are a family of great faith.  They are serving here in spite of great adversity.  Their young son began having seizures last winter, to the extent that they wondered how they could manage in the mission field - then the above health issues.  Through it all, they maintain their faith, optimism and their desire to do whatever the Lord asks.  It is an amazing example to us all.

President Harding does not spare himself either.  He is in the field keeping the same kind of schedule he expects of the missionaries.

We also were fasting and praying as a mission last week for one of our Young Elders from the Pacific.  He was in severe abdominal pain, and the doctors were having difficulty isolating the difficulty.  Just when they thought he was doing better, he relapsed, and had to have surgery.  The interesting thing is that he was transferred the night before this all went down.  The ward mission leader in the new ward was an ER doctor, and knew just what was needed to get him immediate treatment. He is recovering well now.

Georgia Atlanta Temple with Dublin Friends

Josefine and Bobby Watson
Josephine is a new member.  She is studying
to be a medical assistant which is amazing
since she has only been here four years from
the Philippines and had to learn to speak English.
Have you seen how thick those books are?
The one I looked at was full of medical terms
at least two inches long.
Bobby drives a truck through all those winter
storms in the north-east.

Saturday was our Ward Temple day.  We were excited to have the Watsons attending with us.  It was Josefine's first time.  There were more people from our ward, but we only caught a few in the pictures.

They asked us to help with the sealings while we waited for the session.  Kneeling across the altar in that beautiful room, acting as proxies in marriages and having children sealed to their parents is always a very humbling experience.  Just think how some family is rejoicing to finally have their ordinance work completed so they can be linked together through the generations.

Doug was remembering when we were in a similar sealing room with all you older children in the temple in Cardston.  How beautiful you were all dressed in white surrounding the altar.  You were unusually reverent as if you recognized the importance of what was happening;  as if you had memories of our Heavenly home.  Doug said he was remembering the sweet feeling of your little fingers reaching for his hand.

Later, we all went again when Simone and Jude were sealed when we lived in Taber.  Do any of you remember going?

I love this part of the Gospel.  Heavenly Father's plan provides a way for these ordinances to be done here on earth for those who haven't had the opportunity to know and accept the Gospel here.  When they hear it in the Spirit World, they can use their agency to accept it or not.

After, we stopped at a wonderful Italian restaurant (Maggiano's Little Italy) to have a special dinner.  Usually we eat at more reasonable priced places, so this was a treat to have ambiance, tablecloths, and amazing food.  Those who ordered pasta dishes, could also choose an extra one to take home.  Doug chose the lasagna, so we have enough Sunday dinner for us, and to take to a friend.

Notice how some are dressed in their long winter coats! (I didn't even know that anyone owned coats like that in Georgia). It had been raining all day.

Monday Update:  We are on flood watch through tomorrow night.  It is continuing to rain.  The world looks grey here when it rains.  But "the sun will come out tomorrow!"

Doug, John and Glenda Bates, Alyssia and Rex Boland,
Bobby and Josefine Watson.
John teaches the temple prep classes in the ward;
his wife Glenda is the local efficiency expert - tech savy.
The Bolands have four lovely children.  Alyssia is in the
Relief Society presidency and Rex is High Priest Group leader.
Josephine has just been called to work in the Nursery.
The Watsons live about an hour away from our Chapel.